“It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity! It’s not the wind, it’s the wind chill! It’s not the cold, it’s the lack of daylight!” As many as 3 in 10 Minnesotans likely feel some degree of significant mood impact from our dark season. Yes, I’m craving sunlight, too.
I blame the chemicals in my body. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with boosting mood, helps you feel calm and focused. It gets used up faster during the dark days of winter.
Dopamine is associated with drive, alertness and focus. More sunlight signals the brain to “wake up and seek reward.”
Darkness accelerates production of melatonin, which can bleed into the waking hours, leading to daytime drowsiness. Picking up 3 minutes of daylight every day should help with that, too.
Keep in mind the normal high at MSP is 27 degrees. A surge of Pacific air triggers 40s from Thursday into early next week. With little snow left, a high of 50 is possible by Saturday. More late March than mid-February.
“Any snow in the outlook, Paul?” [pause] Let me get back to you.
